A Breath of Fresh Summer Air

Here in the US Northeast, we were hit with a rare autumn snow storm this past weekend.  I shudder to think what this means for the winter season.  Where I am specifically, there was no snow, just a very cold and windy rain fall.  But there were many people who got lots of wet snow causing downed power lines and trees.  Some people are still without power.  I was in New York City for a brief time during the storm and so witnessed said snow.

As you all know, I love fall.  I don’t even mind winter when the holidays are approaching (come January, that is another story entirely).  But an early snow storm isn’t a fall thing I love, especially this year.  I spent all last week looking at this:

So imagine my surprise when we landed in a snowy New York City.

Our trip to Turks and Caicos was a special treat for various reasons—we were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary; it was our first trip to the Caribbean; it was our first plane ride together (sad, I know); it was a second, if not “proper” first, honeymoon; and we desperately needed to get away for a while.  We knew we wanted to go somewhere in the Caribbean, and while we looked at other places, we always seemed to come back to Turks.  A huge bonus was hearing what a laid back, non-frat-party atmosphere it is.  But what sealed to deal for us was Club Med Turkoise, an adult-only all-inclusive resort, the only adult-only Club Med remaining in the world.

There are many resorts to choose from on Providenciales, our island of choice.  We knew going in that Club Med didn’t have the fanciest of rooms, but it was all-inclusive (minus certain activities) so it was the best choice of us.  And once we saw the view from our room, we knew we had made the right choice.

Provo is a beautiful island.  The sky is blue, the sun almost always shines, the weather is warm, and the water is a clear turquoise.  There isn’t much in the way of shopping or a “town,” but that’s part of its charm.  You are cut off from much of the everyday world (at least as I know it).  The atmosphere is one of relaxation and rest.

Being at Club Med was like being at camp, only better.  All three meals were prepared for us, and the food was great.  I ate healthier there than I do at home since there was so much to choose from.  Drinks are *free* and are served all day long.  The staff there was so nice; I can’t say enough about them.  Everyone said hello as they passed.  The “chief of the village” circulated among the common areas of the resort everyday to make sure people were having a good time.  Not only does he speak multiple languages, but he knows which language the guests speak.  Everyone was so accommodating.  Even the guests were happy (probably because they were on vacation) and said hello to you as they passed.  People were more than happy to strike up conversations with strangers.  We made some very good friends while we were there.  Unlike many of the other places we routinely visit, the guests come from all over the country and the world, so we weren’t bombarded with other Long Islanders/New Yorkers, though we did find a few.

One of the things I loved about this Club Med is that you have to pay for WiFi.  It was expensive, and so I did not have access to the Internet or email for an entire week.  I have to tell you, I did not miss it one bit.  I actually loathed to be reconnected once we arrived home (though I did miss my Philofaxy community).  Likewise, I did not see many people connected to their devices while vacationing.  Yes, some people occasionally checked their Blackberry or iPhone, but for the most part, people did not have their heads buried in technology.  Surprisingly, I also didn’t see that many eReaders.  Some people did have them and used them, but it was more common to see people reading actual books.  The reason for this is probably because they wouldn’t have been upset if their paperback was lost or damaged, whereas they would be if it was an eReader.  Whatever the reason, it was very refreshing to see the lack of technology, to see people interacting face-to-face with each other.  It was something I desperately needed.

So.  What did we do on our vacation?

For the most part, we relaxed by the pool and/or beach. 

We also took advantage of the bar.

There are many different activities going on at Club Med, some that are free and others that you need to pay extra for.  Each day we did one “activity,” and the rest of the time we relaxed and read (though more often than not, I people-watched).  We went snorkeling twice.  The first time we saw a number of fish, including a stingray.  The second time, we saw a sea turtle, which is what I had hoped for.

We were brave and went parasailing.

We got pretty far away from the boat and quite high.

From this high up, you can see over the island to the water on the other side. 

After about 15 minutes, the boat captain reels you back in.

We were lucky enough to see a dolphin while on the boat (the shadow in the water is the dolphin—unfortunately, I was not able to get a picture with his head out of the water).

We also went on a sunset sail.

The sunsets at Provo are amazing.

Here are some other random pictures of our trip:

The massage cabana - we did not partake.  =(

 

For my fellow coffee-lovers!

 

Sadly, we drank all the beer we could, and the week had to come to an end.

I hope to return to Turks and Caicos in the future.  It may not have been Paris, but the sentiment was the same.  In fact, it might have been better.  I can’t tell you how much we both needed this vacation, to relax, unwind, and unplug.  Our footprints may be long erased from the Provo sand, but Provo will always be with us.